October 2021 Conservancy Newsletter
After the fires and a record-breaking hot, dry summer, October has brought welcome rain and snow. Better news still, the Caldor Fire is now 100 percent contained. Here in the Lake Tahoe Basin, much work has already been done to repair public lands, including the Conservancy’s properties, that were affected by the Caldor Fire.
We celebrate the major investments in forest and climate resilience this past month from the State of California and the federal government. Governor Newsom signed funding packages that will send $41 million to the Conservancy to support work to restore forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and make Tahoe more resilient to climate change. Soon after, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland approved $48 million in federal funds to support Basin projects that will reduce hazardous fuels and wildfire risk.
There remains much to do. Despite the wet month, the drought that is worsening wildfires is now a statewide emergency. But the Tahoe community has shown it can handle adversity and still thrive. We remain optimistic and look forward to working with you to protect and restore the national treasure that is the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Jane Freeman, Acting Executive Director
California Tahoe Conservancy
Helping Conservancy Lands Recover from the Caldor Fire
In September, the Incident Management Team for the Caldor Fire began repairing the fire-suppression control lines created around by neighborhoods by dozers and hand crews. Their work helps minimize potential soil erosion and other impacts. At the same time, Conservancy staff assessed damage to Conservancy lands from the fire and suppression efforts. The good news is that the fire itself largely spared Conservancy lands, and control lines only affected 31 Conservancy properties which required recovery work.
Conservancy Staff Team Inspecting Caldor-Affected Properties
In the weeks that followed, Conservancy staff and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District’s restoration crews began stabilizing soil and taking other actions on the affected Conservancy properties to help them recover in the months and years ahead.
Conservancy staff and Tahoe Resource Conservation District crews stabilize Conservancy land after the Caldor Fire.
The Role of Forest Thinning and Fuels Reduction in Fighting the Caldor Fire
In the weeks since the Caldor Fire came under control, the USDA Forest Service and other partner agencies have produced videos exploring how work by land managers to thin forests and reduce flammable fuels helped firefighters fight the Caldor Fire and protect communities.
Tahoe Regional Transportation Agency Awards $11 million for Sustainable Transportation Projects
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has awarded funding to seven transportation projects across the Tahoe region that will reduce congestion, expand regional trails, provide free transit, support sustainable recreation and tourism, assist with Caldor Fire recovery work, improve lake clarity, and create climate resiliency. The new funding includes $500,000 to El Dorado County for a future phase of the South Tahoe Greenway Shared Use Trail. Learn more.
Newly Released: Draft 2021 California Climate Adaptation Strategy
California is taking action to combat climate change and build resilience with the release of the draft 2021 California Climate Adaptation Strategy. The strategy builds on the successes and lessons learned since the first climate adaptation strategy in 2009 and is designed to accelerate climate adaptation action across regions and sectors in California. The Conservancy is proud to be a part of how the State is working together to identify how key state agency actions fit together to achieve these priorities.
Learn more about the draft strategy and how you can provide input.
Conservancy Staff Updates
New Employees
Daniel Huerta
Environmental Planner
Daniel joined the Conservancy as an Environmental Planner in August. He is working in the Tahoe Livable Communities Program, assisting with the Land Bank Program and other projects. Prior to joining the Conservancy, Daniel worked for the City of Vacaville as a Housing Administrator, working on affordable housing development projects and running housing programs in the Housing Services Department. He has a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Davis in Community and Regional Development, minoring in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning, and earned a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California, Irvine.
Promotions
Milan Yeates
Community Forestry Program Supervisor
Milan Yeates has accepted the position as the Conservancy’s Community Forestry Program Supervisor. In this role, Milan oversees the Conservancy’s work to reduce wildfire risk and restore forest health within the communities of the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin, including on the Conservancy’s thousands of neighborhood lots. He will continue to work extensively with the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) to coordinate forest management efforts. He also plays a key role in implementing the strategies in the Lake Tahoe Basin Forest Action Plan. A Registered Professional Forester, Milan has been a part of the Conservancy’s forestry team for over 15 years and brings a wealth of history and knowledge.
Upcoming California Tahoe Conservancy Board Meetings
The California Tahoe Conservancy Board will meet on November 8, 2021. An agenda will be available on the Conservancy website ten days prior to the meeting.
Lake Tahoe in the News
How South Lake Tahoe was saved from the Caldor Fire – SFGATE, September 2, 2021
How Lake Tahoe was spared devastation from the Caldor fire – LA Times, September 4, 2021
‘It was a firefight.’ How a vulnerable Tahoe neighborhood was saved from the Caldor Fire – Sacramento Bee, September 12, 2021
Maps: How Prescribed Burns And Other Treatments Helped Curb Caldor’s Growth – San Francisco Chronicle, September 20, 2021
Wildfire Torched the Sierra All Summer, Evading Containment. Here’s How Tahoe Protected Itself – KQED, October 5, 2021
Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition announces Achievement Awards – Tahoe Daily Tribune, October 12, 2021
TERC offering Lake Tahoe residents free sugar pine seedlings – South Tahoe Now, October 23, 2021
Show Your Love for Tahoe While Protecting It
When you order a California Lake Tahoe license plate, you help build biking and hiking trails, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and protect Lake Tahoe’s famous beaches and blue waters. 96 percent of all funds from Tahoe plate sales come back to Lake Tahoe.
Show Your Love for Tahoe While Protecting It
When you order a California Lake Tahoe license plate, you help build biking and hiking trails, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and protect Lake Tahoe’s famous beaches and blue waters. 96 percent of all funds from Tahoe plate sales come back to Lake Tahoe.